Whether they are heartwarming or horrifying, movies have always had the ability to deeply impact the lives of anyone watching them. This is for good reason, seeing as each film specifically targets something different and creates new feelings. However, there are some that truly tug on the heartstrings and move people, potentially altering the lives of each viewer forever. They will make us question everything we thought we knew and this can have deep effects. Below are seven movies that will make you rethink life.
1. Arrival
Understanding others, despite any differences, is the key theme of “Arrival,” a film regarding the communication between alien objects located around the world and a team led by a linguistics professor. Throughout the film, there is an aura of the unknown that clears itself by the last few minutes of runtime, allowing the viewer to finally comprehend the overall message. This goes hand-in-hand with the reason that “Arrival” is a movie that will make you rethink life, in terms of how we live and communicate with each other. Through the powerful use of timing, it makes us wonder whether we’d relive moments and do things differently. Overall, “Arrival” encourages the questioning of things we were born knowing, but not understanding, such as time and language.
2. Interstellar
After watching “Interstellar,” you will undoubtedly be questioning the universe, along. This movie follows the journey of a former NASA pilot (Matthew McConaughey) who leaves his family behind in the hopes to discover a new planet that can sustain human life, seeing as Earth’s future is in jeopardy. The progression of each obstacle leads to the realization that love is stronger than any force the universe can create. “Interstellar” will make you reconsider the way you value love, the world and the forces around us.
3. Into the Wild
This rollercoaster of a movie will take you on a journey, one in which you’ll wonder about the course of your own life. Unlike the previous movies in this list, this flick is lighter on thematic elements but makes up for it by using words in order to make a true impact. Take this line for instance:
“I read somewhere… how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong, but to feel strong… to measure yourself at least once.”
Throughout the entire film, there is an air of discovery and the purpose of it when it comes to life. “Into the Wild” will make you wonder whether you are fulfilling your life and what you believe its purpose to be.
4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Would you choose to erase your entire memory related to an ex-relationship? That is what “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” will make you ask yourself. It challenges our own thoughts regarding the value we put on relationships, whether they be past or present. This film forces our minds to ask our hearts the difficult questions of whether the pain of relationships overpowers all the beautiful moments.
5. Ways to Live Forever
Following the story of a boy (Robbie Kay) with cancer, “Ways to Live Forever” makes you wonder what you would do if you also had a limited number of days. As he tries to make a mark on the world with his time, this causes many existential questions to swim in your head. Ultimately, this film causes you to rethink the way you’re living your life and the impact that you have on the lives around you.
6. Peter Pan
This Disney classic will definitely have you reminiscing about your own childhood, while also wondering how life works in itself. Getting older is a scary thing because the future is unpredictable, though there are moments in the film that will make us question the whole of growing up. “Peter Pan” will make you rethink the way that your life has unfolded, your journey and, perhaps, whether or not you’d like to remain one age forever.
7. A Monster Calls
“A Monster Calls” is the story of a boy (Lewis MacDougall) who has to live with the fact that his mother’s cancer will ultimately end her life. He is visited by a tall, tree-like being that helps him cope with and accept his mother’s fate. This tear-jerker will make you rethink your relationship with the difficulties of your life and how you accepted them. It will cause many questions to circle through your mind, including ones relating to relationships, death and acceptance–making it one of the best movies that will make you rethink life.
About the Author/s
Gianna Valdez is an aspiring poet, who loves to write, read and go to the beach.
